Białystok
[key], city, capital of Podlaskie prov., NE Poland. It is a leading
regional manufacturing center and a railway transportation point. Noted
especially for its linens, the city also has factories producing a variety
of manufactured goods. Founded in 1310, Białystok was taken by
Prussia in 1795 and by Russia in 1807; it was returned to Poland in 1921.
The city was devastated during World War II; about half of the city's
population, mainly Jews, were killed by German occupation forces.
Białystok has an academy of medicine and a technical college.
Historical landmarks include a 16th-century church and an 18th-century
palace.
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